If the pink submarine is a 4,500 tonne Future Australian submarine moving within 50km of the Chinese coast - things may not end well. Chinese undersea SeaWeb sensors may alert (lightweight torpedo carrying) ballistic or cruise missile batteries that a potential target sub is within range. Chinese smart and mobile seafloor mines, sown among the sensors, are another threat. The diagram is on page 16 of American ex-submariner, Bryan Clark’s important paper The Emerging Era in Undersea Warfare, January 22, 2015.
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The Chinese have proven themselves very patient and methodical island builders in the South China Sea. Why wouldn't they methodically sow a large pattern of undersea SeaWeb sensors out to 50 km off their coast in the South China Sea. Such sensor network construction can also compensate for the suspected lower quality of Chinese submarines
SeaWebs are mainly undersea sensors, databases and anti-submarine weapon cueing networks.
As the USNS Impeccable found in 2009 the Chinese resent intelligence gathering near their shores. Impeccable was also suspected of sowing US undersea SeaWeb sensors on the approaches to China's nuclear submarine base at Yulin/Sanya on Hainan Island.
The ocean-island geographies of the South and East China Seas are tailor-made for the growing development of China’s
SeaWeb networks. Such networks may include lines of sensors from Chinese island air/naval bases (eg, Subi, Fiery Cross and Mischief Reefs). See map above
Soon Scarborough Reef (or Shoal) only 140 miles (220 km) from Manila Philippines, may be added to the list of new Chinese island air/naval bases. A SeaWeb sensor line may also be strung between Scarborough and the large Chinese base island of Hainan (see red dashed line on the map below).
Soon Scarborough Reef (or Shoal) only 140 miles (220 km) from Manila Philippines, may be added to the list of new Chinese island air/naval bases. A SeaWeb sensor line may also be strung between Scarborough and the large Chinese base island of Hainan (see red dashed line on the map below).
Harry Kazianis,
writing in the Asia Times, has produced a very interesting body
of articles on the China threat to Western interests in East
Asia. His article “Coming
soon to the South China Sea: Beijing’s best weapons of war”, March 25,
2016, in part, deals with China’s SeaWeb development:
"Sonar nets: While not an
outright kinetic-style weapon, stringing together a sophisticated sonar network
that could seekout US submarines – the very heart of America’s efforts to negate
China’s A2/AD strategy — could provide a decisive advantage.
While there is little in
English-based open source documents, Lyle Goldstein and Shannon Knight have uncovered various
Chinese language open source materials that show Beijing is working on — as of
at least 2014 — sonar net test sites in the East, South and Yellow Seas. It
stands to reason that China has continued to work on and enhance such efforts.
If Beijing were able to perfect such technology and deploy such a capability in
such a manner where a new sonar net was set up in around China’s new islands in
the South China Sea, such a system might make Washington very wary of deploying
advanced nuclear-powered subs there in a crisis. As I explained back in 2014:
“If Beijing were to perfect such
technology it could largely negate the military capabilities of America’s
submarine forces, which in many respects are the foundation of the budding
Air-Sea Battle operational concept [and very likely its successor, JAM-GC]. If
China were able to field such a network … American subs could be pushed back
beyond the range of such networks. This would impact the ability of American
forces in a conflict to deliver kinetic strikes on the Chinese coast [and as
well as China’s new South China Sea islands] by way of Tomahawk Land Attack
Missile (TLAMs). Considering the investment Washington is making in new
versions of nuclear attack submarines, specifically a new version of the Virginia Class that
includes a new payload module to carry more TLAMs, Washington would be wise to
consider how to respond to Beijing’s latest move.” [see WHOLE
ARTICLE BY HARRY KAZIANIS]
Large Australian, US or Japanese UUVs could perform and intelligence gathering tasks required near the Chinese coast. Such UUVs could be submarine, ship launched, air-dropped. They could also be launched from friendly coasts or islands in the region. Being much smaller than subs UUVs are harder to detect. And no crews to lose.
COMMENT
Large Australian, US or Japanese UUVs could perform and intelligence gathering tasks required near the Chinese coast. Such UUVs could be submarine, ship launched, air-dropped. They could also be launched from friendly coasts or islands in the region. Being much smaller than subs UUVs are harder to detect. And no crews to lose.
Pete
